Legal thrillers find a new benchmark in 'Clayton'

Category: Drama  |  Tags: george clooney tom wilkinson lawyer legal thriller drama

posted by: J.K. Howell 298 days ago          

Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) opens the film by telling the story of his transformation – the pivotal moment when, awash with guilt he’s suppressed for decades, he decided to make a change. In a scene reminiscent of Albert Finney’s monologue from “Network,” it’s clear that after decades of doing his job and towing the line, Edens is ‘mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore.’

His epiphany might have been accepted were he a musician, a poet, a religious missionary or even a talk radio host.

Edens’ problem is that he is none of these things.

Edens is a high profile litigator for a large New York law firm. He’s the fighter they send into the ring when they need to deliver a resounding knockout. What at first appears to be a mental collapse (complete with removing his clothing during a deposition) has, at its core, elements of philosophical truth – and the potential to cost his firm and its client billions of dollars.

The task of diffusing this threat falls to Michael Clayton (George Clooney), a former prosecutor who now works as the firm’s “fixer.” He is heralded as a ‘miracle worker’ who can solve any problem.

Screenwriter Tony Gilroy also penned the scripts for “The Devil’s Advocate” as well as “The Bourne Identity” and its sequels. “Clayton” marks his directorial debut. For someone with a history of telling a story through words, Gilroy’s willingness to infuse so much of this film with moments of silence is both surprising and refreshing.

Gilroy’s most daring risk in the film is to set the story amongst declining characters. Most of them seem five to ten years past their prime, clinging to their former glories and hoping that no one else will notice that they’ve started on a cascading journey of decay. The film is a glimpse into the back rooms of the legal profession, where power-plays are made amidst stacks of legal briefs and late night phone calls.

“Clayton” manages to temper the slick, polished feel of a studio production with the risk-taking independence of a philosophical character study. If more filmmakers take their cues from Gilroy, we may be on the verge of a new golden age in American cinema.